Reviewer responses:
Crystal-shards213- Thanks for the review. I don't think I'll write about Kaiba and Joey either.
Nick- Stop saying the same thing and catch up!
Jv- thanks. Yep, Seto is setoish alright!
sailor-z-360- thanks for reviewing. Tell me what you like about the chapters and what looks wrong with them. Yes, I like Zelda.
Subaru the Jaguar- lucky senior! Man, I'm a freshman. People say that I don't act like it, but… yeah. I have drama too. Some senior bumped me from creative writing. Sucks that they can do that… grrr!
Court12- y'know, they might just get married. I hadn't really thought about that…
Tinyflyer02- I'll get to the beta as soon as I can. I'm working on it. School zaps all my time now…
Sakura- I'll try to update soon. I might just use your idea.
Setine- o…k.… evil monkeys? Ahhhhhhhh!
Forgotten Souls- This chapter is Seto's POV all the way.
kikoken- thanks. Yeah, Joey and Seto fight a lot…
Black-Fire Eclipse- thanks. Do you think people will read a sequel?
Chibi-Kari- hey, do you have the music on your computer? I could send you some if you can send me some!
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Chapter 11: Out of the Darkness and Into the Light
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As Seto led Serenity down the long staircase that led into the dining hall, he looked around the huge room. First he looked at the ceilings, stretching many tens of feet into the air, and then at the carpets adorning the floors and looking upon them, saw the chairs, all with gold and silver moldings in the arm rests and backs. He looked upon to the table to see the meal, so exact in its setting. With this he sighed, as though never realizing that he was this rich before.
In truth, he had taken everything he had for granted. He never stopped to think of those who were starving when the excess food of his table went to waste. He never pondered the homeless when he came home to a huge mansion filled with valuables and bedrooms with all the furnishings you would ever want. Most of all, he never thought of the poor, those who could not afford the pleasures of life, when he so wastefully spent his now easily earned money on things such as dining sets, and paintings, and Duel Monsters cards. True it had been hard at first to earn the money, but now that it flowed into him as a river to the ocean, he became blinded by it. Money was pride, pride let to shame, shame led to disappointment, and finally, disappointment led to blame.
He sighed as he realized who that blame had been centered on all these years. He looked down at the small girl on his arm and cast his eyes down to her brother below, who was watching them both with wary eyes, not the eyes that Joey would normally use. He was watching Seto, waiting for him to slip up, so that his pride could boil down to blame before his very eyes. Seto would not allow that. The only one he would swallow his pride for was Serenity. Beyond her there was no one, not even Mokuba, his own brother, who could turn him in his ways.
Seto supposed that he was weak, letting a woman rule his life. The part of his mind that lies beneath consciousness had a different opinion. Unknowingly and yet knowing so well, Seto enjoyed having her there to help carry the burdens of his life, to help set them in the fire and cast them out into anywhere that would take them and then to either burn or rot away. Slowly, his life would come back to normal again. He would be a real person with real emotions, not just some CEO of an expensive corporation. He would learn to love her again, learn to become human. It was something that he had never had time for in his boyhood, and now that he was a man, why wasn't he doing anything about it?
He sighed once again as he came to the bottom of the staircase, Serenity on his arm, tightly holding him as if for comfort. Joey spoke up to them, but not in his normal tone, it was somewhat sympathetic, and yet almost as if he wanted to help the two, "is… something wrong? I'm her older brother. I need to know about it…"
Serenity looked at him with sad eyes. Seto could see them, and as he looked upon her, he saw that she was ready to speak. He silenced her, "no…" his voice lingered, almost as if he was contemplating to tell Joey of all the fights and of long bouts of depression. He could see Serenity look away. She was silent; it hurt Seto's heart to see her do so.
Joey looked away, almost with a look of defeat, but then turned back to Seto and attempted an apology, "We've both been real jerks, huh?" he said it loudly with his Bronx accent, then seeing as how Seto was not amused, continued, "we need to stop this rivalry… I'm willing to stop if you are. It's hurting Serenity more than anyone," he turned to face his younger sister, "I can see it in your eyes, Seren. You don't wanna admit it, but I see it. I'm you older brother, I know these things."
He was silenced as he looked up at Seto and into his ice blue eyes. Then Seto spoke, "Nonsense, Wheeler." Serenity almost jumped back. Seto could see it in the way she flinched. He continued, "There's no need to end a rivalry over this. You're just weak …puppy!"
Joey jumped at this, "What did you just call me?!" he yelled at the top of his voice. Serenity bowed her head.
"I called you a puppy. It's like a dog, but smaller." At this point, Seto could see that Joey was fuming with anger. He smirked, a job well done.
Serenity made a muffled sort of scream. Then, her voice rose with anger and she shouted, "can't you two get over this?! You so immature!"
Seto glanced at her, "so be it."
Serenity looked taken-aback at this remark, "we're you just telling me how sorry you were?"
"You know as well as I do that I never back down. Serenity I…" Seto stopped in mid sentence, glanced at Joey, who looked as though he was readily awaiting the end of the statement, swallowed and continued, "I love you and… I don't care what anyone thinks or about anything that gets in our way! So what if me and your brother have a rivalry going?!"
Serenity looked down, looking almost as if she would cry. She looked back up again, however, "fine… I can learn to live with that."
"What?" asked Joey.
"Joey," she began, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave…"
"What?" Joey repeated.
"Seto and I have been through some hard times. We're only just coming out of them… we'll have you back here after things are cleared up. You have to understand, I'm not a little girl anymore and I don't need you to protect me. Seto does it just fine!" Seto tried to hide his true emotion as she spoke the words. His insides turned, almost as if he was guilty and his crime was being found out.
Joey only looked at Serenity with disbelief, "Seren, you could have told me."
"I didn't feel like I could," answered Serenity with her soft voice. Seto watched the two of them, discussing a matter that he would rather leave undiscovered. He was powerless to do anything about it.
"Of course you could have," Answered Joey, "I wouldn't have made you move out or anything. What exactly happened? Tell me."
"No," came Serenity's voice, strong and steady. Seto could visibly see her stiffen. "What happened here is between me and Seto. I won't share it with you."
"But Seren-"
"No, Joey… just leave…"
"Fine, but if you ever need me," began Joey, and was cut off by Serenity.
"Yes, I know. We can talk."
Joey nodded before walking out the door. Serenity watched him as he left through the entrance of the dining hall. Seto immediately turned to her once he heard the click of the door, "what just happened."
"I don't know," said Serenity, and then after a pause, "do you really love me?"
"Yes"
Serenity sighed. "I love you too."
As Seto looked at her now, he realized that their future may brighten…
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Malik: REVIEW!
